Congratulations to our board member Jan Thornton, who has been named in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, receiving an MBE for her services to rural communities in Yorkshire.
Jan is the Vice Chair for Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), Community First Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Food, Farming and Rural Network, and was appointed to our board in 2020. She has brought a wealth of insight into how communities can thrive through a greater emphasis on the economic strategies of rural businesses and organisations.
She is also Deputy Chair of our Grow Yorkshire Steering Group, bridging the gap between the agricultural agenda and its impact on rural issues. Her strategic focus and hands-on approach has helped inform rural policy in practice and shaped funding to ensure that rural communities in Yorkshire are supported.
On her award, Jan said: “I am delighted to have been nominated and I am deeply humbled to be considered worthy for this award. I have spent the past twenty-five years involved in supporting rural communities at a variety of levels and I am passionate about doing my best to ensure that no one is unreasonably disadvantaged by where they live.”
James Farrar, COO of the York & North Yorkshire LEP, said: “I am thrilled for Jan on what is a well-deserved honour. Jan has long championed the rural economy and has been instrumental in shaping the support across York and North Yorkshire. Further, she has played a key role in driving collaboration across organisations and ensuring that Yorkshire rural issues are heard, and influence national policy.”